K5TRA 144, 432, 902, 1296 and 2304 Station





K5TRA 222 MHz and 10 GHz Station





K5TRA 50 MHz Station (also HF)




WEAK SIGNAL OPERATION

The World Above 50 MHz    - Austin Summerfest 2015 (RMG Forum)

Fun with Roving    - Austin Summerfest 2015 (RMG Forum)



2023 W6JKV - K5AND 6m BBQ -- The LAST one!

TechTalk presentation slides -- downloadable PDF


3Y0J Bovet Island    - Mike Crownover Jr, AB5EB

Open Conversation with K1JT    - Joe Taylor, K1JT

Cycle 25 and 6m Propagation Topics    - Carl Luetzelschwab – K9LA

DXPeditions and FT8 Mode    - Lance Collister, W7GJ

EME on the Microwave Bands    - Al Ward, W5LUA

Coax, Connectors and Waterproofing    - Hector Garcia, XE2K

TechTalk slides not presented due to time-- downloadable PDF

K4 VHF-UHF transverter station interface    - Dick Hanson, K5AND

50 MHz preamp with internal filters    - Tom Apel, K5TRA



K5TRA ANTENNAS

Linear Arrays    - K5TRA (RMG TechTalk)

6M Phase Steerable 2x2 Endfire Array    - K5TRA - RMG & NTMS meeting 2018 (Belton)

Circular Collinear Omnidirectional Array    - K5TRA - revised 2023

Helical Collinear Omnidirectional Array    - QEX 2011 Nov/Dec

Offset dish feed calculations    - K5TRA analysis

Antenna Farm    - K5TRA attic antennas & remote amplifiers

Antenna Farm video    - Video tour of K5TRA attic antennas & remote amplifiers (ZIP of mp4)

 Video tour of K5TRA attic antennas & remote amplifiers


TRANSVERTERS

10 GHz    - Austin Summerfest 2016 (RMG Forum)

2304 MHz    - RMG meeting 2016 (Bee Cave)

1296 MHz    - Old 2010 transverter

1296 MHz    - New 2020 transverter

902 MHz    - Old 2010 transverter

902 MHz    - New 2020 transverter

222 MHz    - 2011 transverter



BEACONS


10368 MHz Beacon    - Roadrunners Microwave Group

5760 MHz Beacon      - Roadrunners Microwave Group

1296 MHz Beacon      - Roadrunners Microwave Group

144, 432, and 902 MHz Beacons    - Roadrunners Microwave Group

50 MHz Beacon    - Guadalupe Valley Radio Club

222 MHz Beacon    - K5TRA: This was the prototype for the other bands thru 23 CM



DESIGN

Microstrip PA Design - Part I    - MRF284 30W 1296 MHz PA design example

Board Level Impedance Matching    - Smith Chart 1296 MHz design example

Broadband Impedance Matching    - Synthesis techniques with examples

Broadband Transformers    - Ruthroff original paper

Transmission-Line Transformers    - Ruthroff, Guanella, etc.

Noise Figure    - "cool" stuff

TECH LIBRARY    - Many more technical papers on all facets of design

DESIGN AID SOFTWARE    - Downloadable applets for RF design by K5TRA



HOMEBREW

Remote link for SSB transceiver    - Homebrew project

50 MHz LNA with internal filtering    - Homebrew project

Remote PA Power Telemetry Over Ethernet    - Homebrew project

222 MHz Harris PA    - Homebrew project

RF Keyed DC Sequencer    - Homebrew project


902 & 1296 MHz Low Noise Preamps    - Homebrew project

902 & 1296 MHz Remote LNAs    - Homebrew project

902 & 1296 MHz Remote PA & LNAs    - Homebrew project

1296 MHz Remote PA & LNA    - Homebrew project

1296 MHz PreDriver (+31 dBm)    - Homebrew project

10 GHz PA Design    - Homebrew project (design)

10 GHz PA Results    - Homebrew project (part-II)

10 GHz LNA    - Homebrew project

10 GHz PA & LNA Construction Tips    - Homebrew project (part-III)

TDR Adapter for Oscilloscope    - Homebrew project





K5TRA Station

Weak signal operation from 6M through 2304 MHz and 10 GHz. Shown are 2 IC-820H transceivers. One is used for 144 MHz and 432 MHz. The other is used as IF radio for 902 MHz and 1296 MHz transverters. Six meter operation (and HF) is provided by an Elecraft K3. The IF radio for the 222 MHz and the 10 GHz transverters is a Yaesu FT2000. All of these transverters have been designed and built from scratch by K5TRA. The latest addition to the station is 2304 MHz. That transverter is a Kuhne (DB6NT) MKU23G2 with a 144 MHz IF. You may also find the link to my "Antenna Farm" interesting.